Hand brake signal



Aug. 28, 1951 J. w. ANDERSON, JR

HAND BRAKE SIGNAL Filed April 15, 1949 INVENTOR.

JZ/r a: Wi/f/fiflfd/Z J71 P'atentecl Aug. 2 8, 19 51 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Jaines'W. i'And'erfsojii, am, Detroit,Mich., assignor to Accessory Research Corporation, Detroit,

' Mich.,*arcorporation of Michigan Application April 15, 1949, Serial No. 87,781

9 Claims.

7 This invention-relates to'a-n'ew-and novelbrake warning "signal particularly but not exclusively adapted for main motorvehicles and is so constructed that when 'the engine of said-vehicle is running an audible signal-will warnthedriver of the vehicle when-theemergencyhandbrake "'member has not been wholly or-partly released. This invention'will'be useful in preventing "wear 'and'destruction of brake lining caused-wanna of the operator of the .vehicle to release the emergency brake before placing the vehicle in motion.

Ar -object ofthe inventionis tojprovid'e armeans automatically operable when starting a vehicle engine or while the engine is running to warn ,the driver of such vehicle .that the emergency brake member has not been partly or wholly :Qreleasd.

Astill'further object of theginventionis 'to provide a vacuum actuated device connected to the engine manifold or other vacuum ,source of a motor vehicle, said device being operable ,to 'warnthe driver of the vehicle thattheibrake, has

not been partly or wholly released.

A still further object .ofthe invention is ,to provide an audible brake warning signal composed of a conventional noise producingjmeans, such for example as a whistle, said 'signalto derive its operating power ifrornthe .manifold vacuum of a vehicleengine and controllable'by the setting or releasing ,of the ,emergncylbrake member. H

A further object. of the invention 1SQDIOVid a device of relativelysirnpleconstruction having a minimum number of m vins parts and one which is capable ofibeing producediathrelatively low cost.

Anotherand morespecific object of ,the present invention is to ,providea warning means of .the foregoing character which isp'articularly adapted for-use with a common type of automobileihand ,or emergency brake. ,Brake's of vthe type .-fcr which the present invention is particularly adapted. are actuated byflongitudinal reciprocatii'ng movement of a brake operating shaft having a"handle means atitsjrearward endand bein .operatively connected at its forward .end with the brake means. The operatin shaitji's mounted in atubular housing to move longitudinally "forward and rearward betweenbrak'e' releasing and brake engaging positions respectivelyand is provided with a projeeting movement, limiting stud or member which rides within, a, movement limiting ,slotextendingilongitndinally within the 'housing'to'limitthe travel of'the stud and shaft.

reference being had to the accompanying draw-- ings forming a part ofthis specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the severalviews. V

A preferred construction ,andapplication of the present inventionis illustrated by way of example in the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through the dash panel of a modern automobile vehicle body, showing themounting of a conventional vehicle hand brake actuating mechanism and a warning device mounted thereon ,andconstructed in accordance with the present invention. a

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken in thedirection oi the arrowssubstantially along the broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing thewarn" ing device of Fig: 1 substantiallyuin front releva- .tion.

, ,Fig.s3 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of the arrow substantially along the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but showing the warning device removed from the hand brakeaetuating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is substantially a fragmentary plan view of the warning device shown inFig. 3. H M

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical ,me-

di'an section through the slide valve chamber,

showing the slide valve element in the 'closed position as shown in Fig.3. I

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 5, showing the slide valve element .in the open position.

Before explaining the present invention indetail it is to be understood that theiinvention'is not limited in its application to the details of con= struction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out invariousiways. also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for'the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a commonly employed mounting for an automobile hand brake actuating lever or shaft H] is illustrated wherein a rearwardly inclined tubular housing I2 for the shaft I6 is provided with an exteriorly screw threaded forward end l4 projecting from the interior of the automobile body through the dash panel 96 into the engine com-= partment. The panel I6 as customarily employed comprises a sheet metal partition separating the front seat or drivers compartment from the forward engine compartment and is usually provided with an interior dash mat l8 adapted to insulate the drivers compartment from heat, noise and vibration of the engine compartment.

The threaded end I4 also passes through a suitable reinforcing bracket 20 adjacent the panel i6 and suitably secured to a rigid portion of the vehicle frame in accordance with conventional practice. Forward and rearward nuts 22 and 22 respectively are screwed on the threaded portion M and are drawn tightly toward each other to clamp therebetween portions of the panel it and bracket element 26. The mat I8 is customarily formed snugly around the portions of the housing l2, 94 adjacent the interior surface of the panel i6, but is broken away in Fig. l to show details of the mounting for the said housing.

The shaft In is slidable within the housing 12, it between forward and rearward brake re leasing and brake engaging positions respectively, and is also mounted for pivoting about its longi tudinal axis to permit setting or locking of the brakes as described below. Serving in effect as a forward extension of the shaft i6 is a lower forward actuating shaft 26 having its rear upper ,end slidable longitudinally within the forward ,portions of the housing l2, l4 and being suitgreater will be the force of the braking action.

The upper portion of the housing l2, I4 is pro= vided with a longitudinally extending movement limiting slot 28, Figs. 1 and 2, which starts near "the mat I38 and extends rearward for at least a distance equal to the maximum longitudinal travel of the shaft I between the brake releasing and brake engaging positions. Suitably secured to the shaft [0 for movement therewith is a radially projecting movement limiting stud or pin 36 adapted to ride within the slot 23 to limit the longitudinal and pivotal movements of the shaft 10.

In the usual instance, the shaft is is provided with a handle means 32 at its rearward extremity and a plurality of teeth or notches 34 extending longitudinally of the shaft in along one side thereof. When the shaft I0 is pulled rearwardly to engage the brakes, a quarter turn of the shaft It will lock the brakes by engaging the notches 3 with a retaining dog, not shown. The notches 34 will be disengaged from the retaining dog to permit forward movement of the shaft to the brake releasing position upon a quarter turn thereof in the opposite direction. The transverse width of the slot 28 is approximately a 4 quarter sector of the housing l2 for substantially the entire length of the slot 28. The limited quarter-turn pivotal movement of the shaft I6 is thus permitted at substantially any longitudinal position of the pin 30.

The Warning means in the present instance comprises a casting or body having an upper whistle chamber 36 and a lower clamping bracket indicated generally by the numeral 38. The latter includes arcuate yoke portions or webbed gripping arms 38a and 38b adapted for partially encircling the upper portion of the housing 12. The longer arm 38a has an arcuate interior gripping surface conforming to the curvature of the housing [2 and extending partially around the side portions thereof which do not contain the slot 28. The distal end of the arm 38a comprises a tongue 380 of reduced thickness longitudinally of the housing [2. The arm 38b is adapted to overlie the upper quarter sector ofthe housing [2 containing the slot 28. The interior surface of the arm 38b is curved concentrically with the shaft [0 and housing 12 and is spaced radially therefrom to provide a clearance 46 within which the projecting stud or pin 30 is free to move.

'Underlying the arms 38a and 38b is a lower pivotal clamping arm 42 having an inner arcuate surface conforming to the under surface of the housing [2 below the slot 28. One end of the arm 42 comprises a yoke pivotally connected at 44 to the tongue 38c and is in essence a pivotal extension of the arm 38a. The other end of the arm 42 is adapted to be drawn toward the lower extrenn ity of the arm 3812, as for example by a clampin screw 46 having its head countersunk within the arm 42 at 48 and its body passing through a bore 56 within the arm 42 and screwed into a threaded bore 52 within the lower extremity ofthe arm 38b. Thus the cooperating arms 38a and 38b and clamping arm 42 substantially encircle the housing I 2 and frictionally engage the sidewalls thereof on either side of the longitudinally extend= ing slot 28 so as to clamp the casting or body 36, 38 securely to the housing l2. The arms 38b and 42 are dimensionedso that their adjacent extremities are spaced by a gap 54, assuring opti= mum clamping action between the yoke arm 38b and arm 42 upon tightening of the screw 46.

The whistle chamber 36 may be formed to comprise a conventional air whistle, having in this case an upper air inlet opening 56, Fig. 4, and a lower air discharge opening or conduit58 com-= municating with a valve chamber 66 extending longitudinally of the shaft I0. The chamber 60 opens at its forward end through the sidewall of the casting 36, 38 and extends rearwardly into a boss 62 of the casting 36, 38. Extending upright from the boss 62 is a tubular conduit or connector 64 communicating at its lower end with the valve chamber 66 and being adapted to be connected at its upper end with one end of a flexible air hose 66, whereby the valve chamber 60 may be suitably connected with a region of low pressure, such as the automobile engine manifold pressure. This is accomplished in the present instance by means of a T-connection 68 which splices the other end of the hose 66 to the conventional flexible tube H1 employed between the engine manifold or other engine controlled source of low pressure and the Windshield wiper mechanism for actuation of the latter.

Operation of the whistle element to issue a soft warning whistle upon passage of air through the opening 56 into the chamber 36 is controlled by a suitable slide valve 12 movable longitudinally within the valve chamber 50 an-d providing an end closure plu g 14 islidabl r ountediwithm the forward opening ofthechambergfima-nd snugly ,fitting thereinto close the-same. The.;,other-,,end

of the member 12 isprovided w-ith asimilanplunger l6 slidable within ,the chamber. emanddimensioned to fit snugly therein soiasmo preventgany substantial passage of .air rbetween 111 1.8 sp l fi element l6 and the sidewalls ofnthe-chamberafill.

The body of the element l zbetweenmthe plunge portions 113 and it isreduced in meters-with respect to the chamber;Bdtopermit airgrflow' freely within the latter between t. ementsiuifijndflfi. The forward extremity oflthergnlunaerz'meew .tends from the chambsr'ifia an :iS .silitabl'y S .cured, as for ,eXample'by-a .4? l ntotliheilower d f an pr shtisprinezarrn 80. EIIBJJUDDEI'EQHG of the spring 1armlifi ,isgsuitablyzseaunemas .br rivet 82 to a proiectin pboss @184 Of'iiille whistle chamb 36. v rlyin the-slotamend-extending Substantially to th ,forwardiendzthereof fromsthe lower end of the spring armiltflisiaivalve actuating extension 36 having a downturnedfingernr, flange 88 adapted to 'be engaged by the :studprpin tail when the latter approaches KihBiifQIiWEl'di limit :of movement permitted :byithe slot;28,,;F,lg.1a1.

As indicated in Figs. 3. anidipthei slide valve: 712 plungers l4 and :liiare dimensioned sosthat upon forward movementofwalve 12:10 the closure position, the plunger 1:6 twillioverlieand close the opening of the conduit molt-into the chamber 66. The valve-chamber fillextendstrearwardly of the conduit as into .ztheuboss 56.2 sufficiently to receive the plunger slfi a't :the -:rearward open position, Fig. .6, .whereatthe discharge :conduit 58 of the whistle :an'djthe. conduit E i are in communication through the .chamber to around thereducedbody of: theisli'davalve. 1.2. .At all positions of the valve 72, the plunger 14 .will

.close the forward opening of the valve-chamber (it without interfering with the/discharge conduit 58. It is thus:apparentthat with. the slide valve 72 in the open position, .atmnsph'ericair will actuate the whistle by passing "into the chamber 36 through the inletopeningSBand discharging from theconduit z58- in'to the valve chamber 68, then through the connector conduit 64 and into the partial vacuumr'of the manifold via the tubular conduit 66, connector 68 and conduit 10.

The spring arm 80 is biased for normally holding the slide valve element72 inithe -openrearward position, Fig. 6, whereat the armilfl'is in abutment with the adjacent forward'wall-of the casting 36, 38 and the depending pin engaging r finger 88 is slightly rearward 'of the forward-end of the slot 28. It is apparent from the-construction shown that upon forward-movement of the shaft H] to the brake releasing'positioh,the-pinor stud 39 will engage the-depending finger B8- and runnin r l t en pas nt tth w istlein ans ,preferredair whistle as the warning device. way of example, the valve 12 may be replaced by -means when the hand brake is applied.

i6 through the inlet 56 and to thewmanifold low pressure .via the discharge port 58, ducts 64,368 ,and It as described, emittinga soft ;-whi stle to warn the operator that the emergency brake has not been completely released.

Although in the present instance thespring arm .80 is biased for resiliently holding .the 'slide valve element 12 in theopen position, with .the depending finger 88 of the actuating arm :86 projecting into the path of forward movement of the stud 30, it will be apparent from the foregoing that the present invention is not dependent on this construction. For example, instead of the resiliently urged movement of the valve '52 to theopen position, an operative connectionbe- ,tween a whistle valve-element and thestud 36 may be readily provided which will positively move the valve to the'open position upon -rearward movement of the stud 33 from its foremost brake releasing position. In this situation, suit able means such as a spring for example will preferably be provided for yieldingly urging the stud engaging means and valve element to the closed position upon return of the stud 30 to the limit of its forward movement permitted by the slot 28.

Likewise other suitable means may replace the y an electric switch in an operative electric circuit for actuating an electrically operated signal In this situation, the signalcircuit will also preferably beconnected with the ignition systemso as to be operated only when the latter, is turned on.

Thus the warning will not issue when the automobile is parked with the ignition off.

I, claimf 1. In a warning device for anautornobile hand brake of the typecomprising a lever housing hav ing a movement limiting slot extending longitudiw. nally within the sidewalls thereof, a brake-actuat- ,ing lever movable longitudinally within the housing between braking and releasing positions and having a movement limiting member projecting into the slot for riding therein, the combination vof an air whistle attachable to the housing, a

valvechamber in communication with the whistle and adapted to be operatively connectedw-ith the automobile engine manifold pressure for actuation of the whistle, a valve element associated with the chamber and operative between open and closed positions respectively for selectively connecting and disconnecting the whistle from the manifold pressure, a valve actuating member operatively coupled with the valve element and reciprocal longitudinally of the slot between open andclosed positions for moving the valve element correspondingly between its open and closed positions, resilient means yieldingly urging the valve actuating member to the open position, said Valve actuating member having a portion overlying the slot in position to be moved said movement limiting member to the closed position upon movement of the=brake actuating lever to the brake releasing position.

2. Ina warning device for an automobile handbrake of the type comprising a housing ha alongitudinally extending movement limiting ,slot therein and a brake actuating lever mounted within the housing for forward and rearward movement longitudinally of the slot between ,brakereleasing and brakeengaging positions-re spectlvely, the. lever having a movement, limiting member p ojec ng into i the slot-re rise therein as a unit with the lever between the brake releas= ing and engaging positions, the combination of an air whistle comprising a body having a bracket attachable to the housing, a discharge outlet for the whistle adapted to be connected with the engine manifold pressure, valve means associated with the whistle and movable between closed and open positions for selectively controlling the passage of air through the whistle, a spring arm mounted on the whistle housing for movement between two positions and operatively connected with the valve means for moving the same correspondingly between closed and open positions, the spring arm being biased for normally holding the valve means yieldingly in its open position and having a portion projecting into the path of forward movement of the movement limiting memher to be moved thereby to its other position upon "valve means associated with the whistle and movable between open and closed positions to control the passage of air through the whistle, a spring arm operatively coupled with the valve means for moving the same between said open and closed positions and yieldingly holding the valve means in the open position, the spring arm having a portion projecting into the path of the movement limiting member to be moved thereby to the closed position upon movement of the brake actuating lever to the brake releasing position.

4. In a warning device for an automobile handbrake of the type comprising a lever housing having a movement limiting slot therein, a brake actuating lever movable within the housing between braking and releasing positions and having a movement limiting member projecting into the slot for riding therein, an air whistle comprising a body, means for mounting the body on the housing, means for passing air through the whis tle for operation thereof when the automobile engine is running, valve means associated with the whistle and movable between open and closed positions to control the passage of air through the whistle, a spring arm mounted on the whistle body and operatively coupled with the valve means for moving the same between said open and closed positions, said spring arm being biased to hold the valve means yieldingly in the open position and having a portion projecting into the path of the movement limiting member to be moved thereby to the closed position upon movement of the brake actuating lever to the brake releasing position.

5. In a warning signal for a vehicle brake, a linearly movable brake actuating lever having a projecting element, a signal device, means for mounting said device adjacent said lever, a mem ber shiftable into one position for rendering said signal device operative and shiftable into a second position for rendering the signal device iiioperative, a spring connected to said member for yieldingly shifting the same to the first position and having means disposed in the path of movement of said element and actuated thereby for shifting said member to the second position when said lever is actuated to release the brake.

6. In a warning signal for a vehicle brake having a manually operable member shiftable into positions to set the brake and provided with a projecting element, an air operated whistle device, means for mounting said device adjacent said manually operable member, a conduit connecting said device to the engine manifold, a shiftable valve for opening or closing said conduit, means yieldingly urging the valve to the position for opening the conduit including a spring having a portion attached to said first named means at a fixed point, the spring having a mov= able portion connected to the valve and yieldable to shift the valve to the position for closing the conduit and also having a movable portion in the path of said projecting element for movement thereby to shift the valve to the last named position when the brake is released.

7. In a warning device for an automobile handbrake having a shiftable brake operating lever and a movement limiting stud projecting from the lever, a supporting body having signal means, an operating member for the signal means shiftable into a first position for rendering said signal means operative and shiftable into a Second po sition for rendering the signal means inoperative, spring means connected tosaid body at a fixed point and to the member for yieldingly urging the latter to said first position, said spring means having a portion in the path of said stud and movable thereby to shift the operating member to said second position upon movement of the lever to release the brake. 1

8. In a warning device for an automobile handbrake having a shiftable brake operating lever and a movement limiting stud projecting from the lever, a signal means, a shiftable operating member for the signal means, a spring arm connected to the signal means and also to the operating member for yieldably urging the same to a position for operating the signal means, said spring arm having a portion in the path of said projecting stud and movable thereby to shift the operating member to a second position for rendering the signal means inoperative upon movement of the lever to release the brake.

9. In a warning device for an automobile handbrake having a brake operating lever movable rearward to apply the brakes and movable forvward to release the brakes and also having a movement limiting element secured to the lever for movement therewith, signal means having a body, a shiftable operating member for the signal means movable rearward to a whistle operating position and movable forward out of said whistle operating position, a spring arm having a fixed end connected to said body and having a movable portion connected to the member for moving the same to and from said whistle operating position,

the spring arm being biased to urge the member rearward to the whistle operating position and having a portion in the path of forward movement -of the movement limiting element for movement thereby to shift said member out of said whistle operating position upon forward movement of .the lever to release the brake.

JAMES W. ANDERSON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

